Etymologically
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agrarius

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 16 October 2026 at 16:03. This address is a permanent link to this version.
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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [aˈɡraː.ri.ʊs], [aɡˈraː.ri.ʊs][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [aˈɡraː.ri.us], [aɡˈraː.ri.us][1]

Forms

agrārius (feminine agrāria, neuter agrārium); first/second-declension adjective[1]

Etymology

It is from ager “field” with the suffix -ārius.[2][1][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citation is from Lucilius, of landed property.[2] Köbler's first source is Cicero; he dates Lucilius c. 180–102 BC.[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant of land or landed property, as in Lucilius, and in Cicero of the redistribution of public land.[2]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant of the field, farm or land.[5] Medieval Latin used it as a noun for a peasant.[6] British Medieval Latin used it of country people, of land holding, and as a noun for a land tax.[7] It survives in Italian and Spanish agrario and French agraire, and through French it gave English agrarian in the 1610s.[1][3]

Timeline

  • c. 180–102 BC – Lucilius uses it of land.[2][4]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of land laws.[2][4]
  • 1610s – English agrarian is recorded.[3]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Of land, landed.[2]
  2. Of the redistribution of public land, agrarian.[2]
  3. (Medieval Latin) As a noun, a peasant; a land tax.[6][7]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  5. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
  6. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
  7. ^ a b Latham, R. E., D. R. Howlett, R. K. Ashdowne, et al. (1975–2013), Dictionary of Medieval Latin from British Sources, London: British Academy / Oxford University Press